How to be the Villain When Every Character Likes Me

6 - Teasing the Shadow Guard

23 days later...

The sunlight, dyed a lively red by the stained window, bathed Rewan's figure like a warm blanket. Beside him were tens of books piled like walls around him. The weathered covers and yellowed pages gave off the feeling of the ancients.

Rewan stared blankly at the introductory books in Fire and Earth, his mind in disarray. He was still reeling from the Test just a few weeks ago. Thinking back to the results of the Test, a silly smile slipped onto his face as he inadvertently loosened his grip on the heavy tome, letting it fall to the floor in a heavy thump.

Two figures, dressed in tight jet-black clothes, appeared behind him, one grabbing his figure, gingerly yet smoothly lifting him away from the book while the other swung out his sword from his sheath before they even had a chance to lay their eyes on the object that made the subtle sound.

When they laid their eyes on the heavy leather-covered tome, its pages splayed out on the chestnut wood flooring, they relaxed, the man holding the sword retreating as he sheathed it away.

Remis' stare was deadpan as he watched the scene, still being carried by the other figure by his armpits like a cat. "Yeah. It was a book," he stated with an unfluctuating tone. "I dropped a book."

He was let down gently by the figure. As he slowly gained his footing, he brushed the wrinkles from his unnecessarily formal suit and sighed.

He was the first mage in history to have two elements, and yet he was being babysat by these two drama kings. It had been that way the moment he stepped out of that cave and was immediately put into the royals' protective custody. He was being watched every second of every minute of every day, unable to escape the hidden yet watchful stares of the shadow guards no matter where he was.

His heart bubbled with frustration. It had been weeks since he was able to use wavebending. He missed the feeling of mana twirling around his body, the feeling of waves of reality completely tamed with his grasp. Most of all, he missed the feeling of not having to get out of bed when he was trying to get a cup of water!

Why must he go through such hardships?

He cast his eyes to the side with rippling anger in his expression, his cheeks puffing up as he pouted. "I'm leaving," he mumbled as he haphazardly picked up a few books and clutched them to his chest, a slightly defeated look on his face.

He paused and turned back to the two slightly apologetic and embarrassed black-figures towering behind him. "Don't follow me," he stated calmly before marching on.

His feet dragging, he made his way through the palace, ascending the stairs up to the thirteenth level. As he pushed open the door to his chambers, he was grabbed from behind and pulled back by a familiar embrace. He stared at the sleeve's cuffs, unperturbed, then laughed without surprise.

"Cesar," Rewan called lightheartedly. The figure snuggling up to him behind visibly froze and the crown prince quickly let him out of his embrace like he was holding burning iron. The crown prince, whose face was lit up red like a New Year's lantern, averted eye contact, his heart thumping against his ribcage at the familiar yet still shocking call.

A flicker of satisfaction sparked in his heart as Rewan suppressed a smug smile. He had found that nifty little trick after his first week staying at the palace. The android would unfathomably still and turn red idly. Grabbing the handle of the door, the wood of the entrance glowed a mellow red before it shifted to a chestnut shine. The door slid open as soon as the panels stopped glowing. Sauntering into the room, he shut the door before the crown prince could snap out of his trance and follow him in.

Rewan collapsed onto the bed and shut his eyes in boredom. His hands twitched as he let ripples of mana emanate out of his body, encapsulating every inch of the room. His mouth twitched when he found a black figure mounted idly on the wall. Around him was a thin veil of spinning air, concealing his movements and keeping him afloat.

"Of course you didn't listen..." Rewan mumbled under his breath, turning his body despondently and pressing his face to the pillow underneath him. "Come down from there," he muttered through the pillow, lifting his arm weakly and pointing to the man's general direction.

The figure shook slightly, but didn't move. Annoyed, Rewan flipped over and lifted his body, staring at the seemingly empty, light-filled space of the ceiling and pointing again. "Get down from there," he said again.

The man blinked, flustered. How was he able to sense him? Rewan was

Fed up, Rewan stood. The man didn't understand the purpose behind his movements—standing up, moving right beneath him, and reaching out like he was preparing to catch something. Then, Rewan pointed directly up and shot a beam of mana to the man, bending the waves around him and sucking him down.

The man yelped, the air around him twisting stronger in resistance, but he was still pulled down with that unknown force. The air dissipated because of his shock, revealing his presence and appearance as he fell. Rewan's arms encircled his robust body as he flopped on top of the black-haired youth, but Rewan soon realized he lacked the strength, his mouth twitching with exasperation. His legs shook, the body weight of both of them pushing them onto the floor, collapsing in a heap. The black-suited figure was pressed directly beneath Rewan, the black mask covering his expression.

Rewan felt the man's heartbeat underneath him, pumping up and down. A gratifying wily grin spread uncontrollably on his face as his expression turned bright with mischief. "Not so mysterious are you now, hm?" He purred, teasing the strapping man as he caressed the shadow guard's jaw through the mask.

The man froze, his heart beating harder as he watched the youth above fondle his body with pure, mischievous eyes. His expression was like a curious kitten as he poked one of the pectoral muscles, feeling the soft flesh tense.

Rewan laughed, watching the man under him twitch under the stimulation. He moved his gaze back to the mask and his grin grew wider. "What do you look like under the mask, huh?"

Tendrils of mana, seeping out from Rewan's back, slid under the suit and, in a flourish, pulled the mask off in one fluid motion.

A beet-red face, eyes wide with shock and confusion, furrowed brows adding to the intense expression. His jaw clenched, lips slightly parted as if caught mid-argument. His features, though strikingly handsome, twisted with a mix of anger and disbelief, giving his face an intense, almost flushed glow. Veins subtly pulsed at his temples, dark, tousled hair framing his expressive face.

Even Rewan felt a trace of guilt when he saw the innocence of the man. He laughed it off, brushing the stray locks of hair away from the youth's face and smiling sheepishly. "You're quite handsome," he complimented.

The youth twitched and hurriedly pushed Rewan away from him, his crystal-clear voice tinged with a mix of shame and zeal. "You– you!" he stuttered. "You must take responsibility!"

Rewan blinked, and it was his turn to become flustered, his eyes shaking as he immediately stood up and laughed with a panicked expression. His previous suave persona that gently teased the man weighed twice as much as him below him immediately vanished, replaced with a true, inexperienced youth who had never had his first kiss.

"Wh– ahem, what do you mean by responsibility?" Rewan stammered, his eyes fluttering back and forth as he slowly backed away.